Spaghetti Bolognese
When it comes to pasta, there is nothing that beats this classic slimming friendly Spaghetti Bolognese – whether you're following Weight Watchers, calorie counting or other diets!
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories409
- Carbs61g
- Protein26g
- Fat4.8g
- Saturates1.6g
- Sugars11g
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For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
Everyone has their own version, but this is ours. We’ve adapted it over the years, and more recently to include some extra veg.
Not only does it bulk it out, making the meat go further (gotta love a thrifty meal!) but it’s also an excellent way of sneaking some extra veggies into your meal, and into your kids!
If you love a pasta dish, why not try some of our other classic pasta recipes?
- Spaghetti Carbonara
- Beef Ragu Fettuccine (Also in our Cookbook)
- Creamy Tomato Pasta
- Seafood Pasta
What diets is this Spaghetti Bolognese suitable for?
This recipe is suitable if you’re gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten free versions;
- Stock cubes
- Worcestershire Sauce
- Spaghetti
You could also enjoy this Spaghetti Bolognese if you’re dairy free.
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Spaghetti Bolognese?
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You don’t need any special ingredients to make this recipe. In fact, you can pack it full of loads of spare veggies you’ve got lurking around!
When making anything with spaghetti, a proper pasta pan is really useful. The pasta needs loads of space to move and cook properly rather than being crammed in a small pan!
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‘Home comfort cooking. Can't beat a classic’
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You can get a suitable saucepan from most large supermarkets, or over on Amazon!
How many calories are in this Spaghetti Bolognese?
You might think Italian food is high in calories, but not our Spaghetti Bolognese!
It has 409 calories per portion, and is packed full of flavour! This means it falls into our Weekly Indulgence recipe category.
This recipe is perfect if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Spray a large saucepan with Low Calorie Cooking Spray and brown the meat for 5 minutes. Add all of the veg and herbs and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Stir in the tomato purée and cook out for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and rich, and the meat tender.
Step 3
Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the cooking instructions.
Step 4
Serve immediately with spaghetti, or pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan!
What should you should serve with Spaghetti Bolognese?
What should you should serve with Spaghetti Bolognese?This dish really doesn’t need an accompaniment, but there are a few classics to serve with this tasty meal:
Whatever accompaniment you choose, don’t forget to account for the extra calories and/or other nutritional values.
Can you cook Spaghetti Bolognese another way?
Yes…well, you can cook the bolognese part a different way. The spaghetti is best cooked using the traditional hob method.
Pressure Cooker: Brown off the mince using the sauté function, add the other ingredients and mix. Cook on high pressure for 30 minutes, then quick release the pressure. You may need to use the sauté function to bring the bolognese to the boil and reduce to thicken.
Slow Cooker: Brown off the mince in a frying pan. Add to the slow cooker along with the other ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours. Leave the lid off (but temperature still on!) to reduce and thicken the sauce at the end of the fours hours
How do you know when the Spaghetti Bolognese is cooked?
When the sauce has reduced and is thick and rich, and the mince is tender then your bolognese is ready! Your pasta should be slightly al dente (just a little bite).
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep Spaghetti Bolognese in the fridge?
Once you’ve cooked this, you should ideally eat it immediately.
If you allow any left overs to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Spaghetti Bolognese in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Why not top the left over bolognese with mashed potato and carrot, top with some cheese or mozzarella and have an Italian Cottage Pie? It’s one of our favourite leftover meals!
Can I freeze Spaghetti Bolognese?
Yes you can – but we’d recommend to just freeze the bolognese and cook the pasta fresh! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat Spaghetti Bolognese?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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Spaghetti Bolognese
When it comes to pasta, there is nothing that beats this classic slimming friendly Spaghetti Bolognese – whether you’re following Weight Watchers, calorie counting or other diets!
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
40 MINS
- KCals 409
- Carbs 61G
Instructions
- Spray a large saucepan with low calorie cooking spray and brown the meat for 5 minutes. Add all of the veg and herbs and cook on a low heat for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato purée and cook out for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and stir well. Simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick and rich, and the meat tender.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta according to the cooking instructions.
- Serve immediately with spaghetti, or pasta with a sprinkle of Parmesan!
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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56 comments
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EmmaTuesday 22nd August 2023
Do the calories include the spaghetti or do I need to add that on? Thanks
SharonMonday 16th October 2023
Hi Emma, the calories stated include the spaghetti. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
[email protected]Tuesday 14th March 2023
Love pon books made lot of recipes
SharonWednesday 15th March 2023
Hi Deborah, we’re so pleased to hear you love our Pinch of Nom books. Thanks for taking the time to let us know!
AuleyWednesday 23rd February 2022
When making this dish do you dissolve the beef stock cubes in water and add that or do you add them to the pan as they are?
SharonWednesday 23rd February 2022
Hi Auley, there’s no need to dissolve the stock cubes in water; just crumble them into the mixture and they will dissolve.Thanks for your question and hope you enjoy the recipe.
LaurenTuesday 17th August 2021
How do i know how much a serving is so i know it’s the right amount of calories?
HollyFriday 3rd September 2021
Hey Lauren, We work out our recipes on the serving size not by weight. To work out your own weight of a serving you would need to make the finished dish and divide servings, as the weight will vary due to variation of ingredients and water content it’s not something we can do as an exact measure. If you scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page on the website there is a little arrow by servings and you can alter up or down to serve more or less people. Hope that helps!
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